My fixture for proper lighting is arriving tomorrow. I want to figure out what plants to order. My 56 gallon tank is 24 inches tall so I will need some nice tall plants for the background as well as foreground and mid-ground. I also LOVE the ground cover type plants. I most likely will be going with Angel's so they will need tall plants for sure. I like elegant looking plants and like all tones of green but really do love the deep greens...want a mixture of tones. I also like the plants that have some reddish highlights.

Can anyone recommend some pretty plants that would not be too difficult for a beginner plant keeper. I will not be using C02. My substrate is Fourite and small to mid sized gravel on top. I have been looking on the online shops that were recommended on here, but there are so many to choose from.

My plant list for today's menu
Back: Corkscrew Vallis or Jungel Vallis (like 10 on a 55g)
Infront that Amazon Swords (like 4 on a 55g)
Off to the side/back Pennywort (like 2 for each side)
Middle: Narrowleaf Chain Sword (like 6-8)
Front: Either Dwarf Hairgrass (to be seen in my 2nd new shrimp farm) or dwarf Baby tears (to be seen in the new 55g) of those on a 55g you'd need like 10-12 easily for a good starting cover
Oh or Kleiner Bar Sword for the front, these are neat too
Alternatives:
Middel Crypto's Wendetti (for a lil red 'splash')
Or some Tiger Lotus
Or some Dwarf Sagetteria
Or alternatively for the back instead Vallis with a nice red-green mix: Rotala Indica (Actually I like that idea best rather then Vallis lol)

If you have DW in the tank to add some different levels into your tank, get some Anubias to tie down on the DW

Now I think I covered it all LOL if you wonder what the plants look like you should find pictures either in my tanks or here Sweet Aquatics

~ Life Is Too Short, Break The Rules, Forgive Quickly, Kiss Slowly, Love Truly, Laugh Uncontrollably And Never Regret Anything that Made You Smile.
Life May Not Be The Party We Hoped For, But While We're Here, We Should Dance. ~

Thanks so much Angel! That helps. I will look those up today. You made me laugh again too!

Also, I do have a dark green Anubia now next to the large driftwood but it is planted in the gravel. I cannot remember which Anubia it is, but it is darker green with fairly large leaves and very pretty. I have some small swords in there too....Amazon's. I had to put them in there before I got the lighting because I had bought them thinking I was going to get my lighting at the next store but the quote was too high. I forgot to save the name of the Anubia, but I can check at Petsmart when I go in there. It is a little hard to tell on line....some look very close the same.

My plant list for today's menu
Back: Corkscrew Vallis or Jungel Vallis (like 10 on a 55g)
Infront that Amazon Swords (like 4 on a 55g)
Off to the side/back Pennywort (like 2 for each side)
Middle: Narrowleaf Chain Sword (like 6-8)
Front: Either Dwarf Hairgrass (to be seen in my 2nd new shrimp farm) or dwarf Baby tears (to be seen in the new 55g) of those on a 55g you'd need like 10-12 easily for a good starting cover
Oh or Kleiner Bar Sword for the front, these are neat too
Alternatives:
Middel Crypto's Wendetti (for a lil red 'splash')
Or some Tiger Lotus
Or some Dwarf Sagetteria
Or alternatively for the back instead Vallis with a nice red-green mix: Rotala Indica (Actually I like that idea best rather then Vallis lol)

If you have DW in the tank to add some different levels into your tank, get some Anubias to tie down on the DW

Now I think I covered it all LOL if you wonder what the plants look like you should find pictures either in my tanks or here Sweet Aquatics

~ Life Is Too Short, Break The Rules, Forgive Quickly, Kiss Slowly, Love Truly, Laugh Uncontrollably And Never Regret Anything that Made You Smile.
Life May Not Be The Party We Hoped For, But While We're Here, We Should Dance. ~

Take the Anubia out of the ravel and tie it to DW; will thrive much better that way.
You can try ID it at the page I gave you earlier via their pictures or maybe here too Anubias

Thanks. I remember reading about them doing better attached after I planted it. However, I am not too crazy about how the tie looks. I have that critical eye side to me. LOL Does it permanently have to be tied or just until it attaches itself? I would assume not permanently. Now only if my eyes can take it for awhile. I looked at the Anubias on AquariumPlants.com earlier but it is still hard to tell which one it is. The name Nana sounds familiar. It may be that one or the Barteri one.

OMG OMG I love you girls. I was just going to post inquiring about plants and you two already beat me. Holly asked and Angel answered. I was going to ask for the initial planting in a 55g, and Holly has a 56g, like... haha how do I configure the question?

Can one plant be cut in to many smaller plant-able plants?
How the hell do I know how much to buy of any one plant?
Is a pot just one plant? I saw you can buy a pot. wtf?

I'm clueless on this but once I start the project is going to roll ahead fast. I can feel it.
Heeeelllppp meeeeeeee ladies ;)

You cracked me up! I am definitely not a plant expert so we will have to wait for Natalie Angel.

When I bought plants at Petsmart they did not come in the standard type pots but in a plastic container with a little round plastic holder at the bottom of the plastic container which I guess can be considered somewhat a pot.

Regarding how many in each pot, I think it depends on the plant or vendor. The ones I got at Petsmart came with three rooted sprigs per container, except one type. I found that one type looked better when planted together. Actually, I ended up putting the swords together too, but I don't think you have too. The Anubia (or what ever it is called) came with just one plant not three sprigs. The other ones came with three...the Swords and two other types that I forget what they are called.

Regarding how many, I think for you and I without help like Natalie gave me, we would have to buy a few at a time and just figure it out or just think it out and estimate. We can always add to it.

I am not sure about the cutting thing. I believe that there would have to be some kind of root on each one to plant.

This is going to be learning experience. I think the thing that will bug me since they need to grow is having short plants in a fairly tall tank for awhile. I may keep some fake ones in there temporarily. I kind of do like the fact that the live plants do something and always stay the same and just get dirty. LOL

I hope I can keep up with the upkeep of trimming so my tank is not an eye sore to my eyes.

OMG OMG I love you girls. I was just going to post inquiring about plants and you two already beat me. Holly asked and Angel answered. I was going to ask for the initial planting in a 55g, and Holly has a 56g, like... haha how do I configure the question?

Can one plant be cut in to many smaller plant-able plants?
How the hell do I know how much to buy of any one plant?
Is a pot just one plant? I saw you can buy a pot. wtf?

I'm clueless on this but once I start the project is going to roll ahead fast. I can feel it.
Heeeelllppp meeeeeeee ladies ;)

Thanks. I remember reading about them doing better attached after I planted it. However, I am not too crazy about how the tie looks. I have that critical eye side to me. LOL Does it permanently have to be tied or just until it attaches itself? I would assume not permanently. Now only if my eyes can take it for awhile. I looked at the Anubias on AquariumPlants.com earlier but it is still hard to tell which one it is. The name Nana sounds familiar. It may be that one or the Barteri one.

Use black thread you'd use for sowing. Unless you push your nose up to the glass and your driftwood sits right on the glass you won't see it. And no once they're rooted onto the DW it can come off.
It really doesn't matter EXACTLY which Anubia you have there, treatment is the same for all, they only one that would be bothers by not knowing the exact name is yourself

~ Life Is Too Short, Break The Rules, Forgive Quickly, Kiss Slowly, Love Truly, Laugh Uncontrollably And Never Regret Anything that Made You Smile.
Life May Not Be The Party We Hoped For, But While We're Here, We Should Dance. ~

Can one plant be cut in to many smaller plant-able plants?
How the hell do I know how much to buy of any one plant?
Is a pot just one plant? I saw you can buy a pot. wtf?

I'm clueless on this but once I start the project is going to roll ahead fast. I can feel it.
Heeeelllppp meeeeeeee ladies ;)

As in chopping them in half's when you buy them NO you can't But plants like Rotala, Vallis, Java Ferns, Chain swords......all these plants built runner; either you can leave these attached to 1 another or pinch them off and plant them however you want.
Stem plants can simply be pinched off at any height you like and the pinched of piece stuck back in the gravel. The "old" part will then built 2 new branches and the new piece will start growing tall.

yes a pot is a plant ever seen the gardening section of your home store....yea....

After looking back at the tank from start to 6 weeks later what I'd do different on the existing Jungle: only get 2 Ludwiga and only get 6-8 Sagittaria ... but me being me if I have too much plants that just means I have too little tanks to distribute it amongst and need to buy a new tank

Now set up on the 45g:
~10-12 Rotala Indica alllll along the back
1 Camboma > Off to the side to 'hide filter'
1 Hygrophilia Angustifolia > Off to th side to 'hide filter'
1 Nymphea Lotus Red > Front
1 Lilaeopsis Mauritiana

That should give you some ideas now (I hope).
Edit to give you some price ideas, the 55g set up cost me exactly $45.20 and the 45g ~$20

~ Life Is Too Short, Break The Rules, Forgive Quickly, Kiss Slowly, Love Truly, Laugh Uncontrollably And Never Regret Anything that Made You Smile.
Life May Not Be The Party We Hoped For, But While We're Here, We Should Dance. ~

I messed up....edited and messed my statement up. I meant to say that I kind of like the fact that live plants do something and just don't stay the same like fake plants that just sit there and get dirty. Live plants, I would think, keep it more interesting.